LeBron James discusses family, says parenting is about 'setting an example'

James sat down for an exclusive interview with WKYC's Amani Abraham inside his I PROMISE School's new Kaulig Companies Media Lab.

Author:
Amani Abraham, Tyler Carey

Published:
6:09 PM EDT August 14, 2019

Updated:
7:53 PM EDT August 14, 2019

There are many sides to LeBron James: basketball legend, philanthropist, activist, the list is seemingly endless.

However, there is one side that James himself may see as most important: family man. In an exclusive interview inside the new Kaulig Companies Media Lab at his I PROMISE School in Akron, James discussed his role as a parent with WKYC's Amani Abraham.

"It's an every day thing," he said. "It's not like I sit my kids down and be like, 'Listen, this is what I'm telling you, this is how you should do...' No. It's every day...You're teaching them the blueprint every day."

With one girl and two boys (including up-and-coming basketball player LeBron Jr. or "Bronny"), James believes parenting is about more than just explaining right and wrong. It's about setting an example of respect, and leading your kids to follow suit.

"It's how you walk, it's how you get up, it's how you respect people in your household," he said. "I believe, not only for myself, but for my wife, for my mom, for my [in-laws], and everyone in our family, we're just trying to set a great example not only in the household, but when you leave the household."

James says some of the "best complements" he gets are when fellow parents talk about how well-behaved his own children are, as it displays the fruits of his labor as well as how they act even when he's not around. As he puts it, though, he hasn't even shared everything he has to offer yet.

"I have a lot of gems to give," he said, "but I think it has to be spread across time and along the whole tier of [when] they're growing up, and not just give it to them all at once."

WKYC, in partnership w/the LeBron James Family Foundation and Kaulig companies, helped create the Kaulig Media Lab to give students hands-on learning opportunities to report news and create content on both broadcast and digital platforms.